By PETE CALDERA
Bergen County Record
New York Yankees pitcher Roger Clemens reacts as he leaves the game after the eighth inning during MLB baseball against the Minnesota Twins MOnday, July 2, 2007 at Yankee Stadium in New York. Clemens got his 350th win as the Yankees beat the Minnesota Twins 5-1.
NEW YORK -- A truly vintage Roger Clemens outing would have crowded the scorebook with more Ks, and would have caused more of a fan frenzy -- building anticipation with every two-strike count.
In these bonus years of a Hall-of-Fame career, Clemens is proud of what he can accomplish on an economy of pitches.
Allowing only two hits, including a suspect double, in eight innings at Yankee Stadium, Clemens retired the final 15 Minnesota Twins he faced and secured a 5-1 victory Monday night for the Yankees -- the 350th win in a remarkable career.
The bullets he saves now can help the Yankees later, and the fragile state of this imperfect team was underscored as Alex Rodriguez exited the game with a strained left hamstring.
"We're going to sleep on it and see how it [feels] in the morning," said A-Rod, who got his left leg tangled with Twins first baseman Justin Morneau's right leg on a close play at first base.
What manager Joe Torre termed a "scary" incident occurred in the sixth inning, after the Yanks (38-41) scored four times to break open a 1-1 game -- which began with Bobby Abreu's tie-breaking, solo home run.
Torre had caught the last-ever victory No. 350 in the majors, when Warren Spahn did it for the Milwaukee Braves in 1963, against the Cubs.
Besides giving the Yankees "a lift that we needed," Torre marveled at Clemens' ability to "pitch as long as he has and really not change his style" of power splitters and fastballs.
After Joe Mauer doubled to lead off the fourth inning, the Twins (42-39) bowed to Clemens, who had lost his last three starts; the Yanks had combined to score three runs in those starts.
Before the game, general manager Brian Cashman said his underachieving club would have to show signs of a championship pedigree before he attempted to make an impact trade at this month's deadline -- if such a deal exists at all.
"This team's got to earn that right," said Cashman, who is reluctant to deal any of the top, young pitchers in his system for a slugger.
Of course, a lengthy A-Rod injury would throw his club's pennant chances in further jeopardy.
For now, Clemens (2-3) remains the big addition, and he met another major milestone before a crowd of 53,036.
"I'll probably look at the history, if you will, another time," said Clemens, who used 97 pitches and gave up one earned run, with one walk and four strikeouts in his fifth start this season. "With everything going on ... it was a good night [for a victory]."
The Yankees had lost nine of their past 11 games entering Monday, but losing A-Rod was an unexpected jolt.
Abreu's upper deck homer kicked off the Yankees' scoring in the pivotal sixth against starter Boof Bonser (5-5). Bonser was chased after hits by Andy Phillips (double) and Robinson Cano.
Reliever Juan Rincon promptly walked Johnny Damon and Melky Cabrera to force in a run. Matt Guerrier came in for Rincon and Derek Jeter's two-run single -- misplayed by third baseman Jeff Cirillo, who backed up on the ball and it bounced over his glove -- made it 5-1.
New York Yankees' Alex Rodriguez, center, leaves the game with trainer Steve Donohue, left, and manager Joe Torre, right, after getting injured during sixth inning MLB baseball against the Minnesota Twins Monday, July 2, 2007 at Yankee Stadium in New York.
Next, A-Rod beat out a potential double play grounder, but tumbled to the ground in pain. He remained in the game briefly, but came out after he got to second base -- where he told coach Larry Bowa that he was "scared to bust it and really miss a long time" if he were to attempt to score on a hit.
"I think [today] will tell us more than anything right now," said Torre, who admitted that he was "concerned" about A-Rod's status.
Rodriguez recalled being carried off the field in 1996 with his only other serious hamstring strain, but he walked out of the Stadium with a wrap on his leg.
Perhaps an extended injury for A-Rod would alter Cashman's stance on a deal for offense, but by how much?
"If I chose to put Phil Hughes on the marketplace, I could've done something by now," Cashman said before the game, emphasizing his reluctance also to move right-handers Joba Chamberlain and Ian Kennedy. "You don't want to sacrifice high end talent for short-term gain."
E-mail: caldera@northjersey.com
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